Trump Eyes Government Control of Quantum Computing Firms (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0179859158
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/10/23/2048226/trump-eyes-government-control-of-quantum-computing-firms
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/10/trumps-industry-meddling-may-give-us-a-stake-in-quantum-computing-firms/
> Donald Trump is [1]eyeing taking equity stakes in quantum computing firms in exchange for federal funding, The Wall Street Journal [2]reported . At least five companies are weighing whether allowing the government to become a shareholder would be worth it to snag funding that the Trump administration has "earmarked for promising technology companies," sources familiar with the potential deals told the WSJ.
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> IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly "considering similar arrangements," as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies. No deals have been completed yet, sources said, and terms could change as quantum-computing firms weigh the potential risks of government influence over their operations. [...]
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> The administration will lean on Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Dabbar to extend Trump's industry meddling into the quantum computing world, the WSJ reported. A former Energy Department official, Dabbar co-founded Bohr Quantum Technology, which specializes in quantum networking systems that the DOE expects will help "create new opportunities for scientific discovery." While the firm he previously headed won't be eligible for funding, Dabbar will be leading industry discussions, the WSJ reported, likely hyping Trump's deals as a necessary boon to ensure US firms dominate in quantum computing.
A Commerce Department official denied the claims, saying: "The Commerce Department is not currently negotiating equity stakes with quantum computing companies."
In August, the Trump administration took a [3]10% stake in Intel to help fund factories that Intel is currently building in Ohio.
[1] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/10/trumps-industry-meddling-may-give-us-a-stake-in-quantum-computing-firms/
[2] https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/trump-administration-in-talks-to-take-equity-stakes-in-quantum-computing-firms-60ee5143
[3] https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/08/22/1849210/intel-has-agreed-to-a-deal-for-us-to-take-10-equity-stake-trump-says
What's to stop everyone (Score:2)
at these companies from just up and quitting?
Re: (Score:2)
What, and jump off the quantum gravy train?
Re: (Score:2)
Why would they? The new shareholder structure might annoy some C-level because it's one more person to report to, and because of the loss freedom in some business decisions; but C* can live with that and their fat salaries. Everybody else, janitors to quantum geniuses, are not directly affected.
Re:What's to stop everyone (Score:4, Insightful)
The irony is that Trump supporters will demonize "communists and socialists" and then utterly fail to realize how anti-capitalist this is. The last thing capitalism wants is a government picking winners and losers, that's inherent with any Trump grift, though.
Isn't government ownership of corporations socialism?
Re: (Score:2)
Government ownership of corporations for the good of the elite is fascism or communism, depending on the details.
Government ownership of corporations for the good of the people is socialism.
Capitalism is doomed (Score:2)
The billionaires want to kill capitalism. They are sick and fucking tired of being dependent on us filthy consumers.
The plan seems to be to return to an economic system like we had before merchants existed. Not barter. But where the king owns everything and everything belongs to The King.
The difference is these new Kings will have robots and automation so they won't even need the peasants.
I don't think anyone ever imagined that it would be the billionaire class that destroyed capitalism but here
Re: (Score:2)
Mass deportation?
Mussolini said it best... (Score:3, Informative)
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.”
-- Benito Mussolini
Karl Marx would be proud (Score:2)
This is straight up socialism.
Re: (Score:3)
It does outrage me how Pharmacy companies, for example, uses research funded by taxpayers, makes a great product, then turns around and charges 100x to customers claiming that they are innovators. As long as Trump does not write his personal name in the contract, as I believe he has done at least once, and the contract is weighted towards the general welfare of Americans, that seems worth a debate.
China (Score:3, Insightful)
Trump's policy seems to be very similar to what China has done over the past few decades.
Re: (Score:2)
NO, NO, NO!!! What China does is EVIL! Since this springs from the mind of the Stable Genius it's totally different! I don't know how it's different, but it's the bestest thing government has ever done! /sarc
(It's unspeakably sad that I have to add the /sarcasm tag, since there are so many people now who actually think this way. A decade ago it would have been unnecessary.)
Re: (Score:3)
> Trump's policy seems to be very similar to what China has done over the past few decades.
China subsidizes its strategic companies with money and favorable regulations along with removing as much domestic and international competition as possible, all in exchange for the CCP's control over the company, including removing/arresting the head at any time. All Trump has done is to require ownership of a company in exchange for the previously free grants of money that previous administrations have given out. There is essentially no advantage to the company aside from the infusion of money. There a
Nice business you have here... (Score:3)
... be a shame if something were to happen to it.
Totally a democratic move (Score:2)
not sus at all
Re: (Score:2)
It is democratic. People voted for this.
Re: (Score:2)
did they, though? did they really?
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Is it, though? Yes I do blame voters for the destruction of the United States, but outside of the MAGA true believers, I don't think voters intended for Trump to do whatever the hell he wants. They expected, naively, the constitution to still be upheld and decent people in the administration to put the brakes on the unamerican things Trump is wont to do. That's what happened last time. Of course most of the rest of us saw all this rubbish coming like train wreck. Obviously Trump voters did not, unfortun
The days when the republicans (Score:2)
Were the capitalists are long, long gone. Remember the good old days when R meant capitalist and D meant socialist? Nowadays it takes a serious mental defect to watch Fox News commentators rail on Bernie Sanders for being a filthy socialist one second, and the next theyre cheering Trump as he forces companies to give up stakes to the federal government.
Not a Capatalist. (Score:1)
How can anyone think this arrogant dictator that wants to have the government literally take over entire business categories is a capitalist.
He has literally enacted the definition of Mercantalism (balance of trade via Tariffs ) and wants to control every business.
Nationalizing the Banks (Score:2)
We're about due for another round of bank bailouts (it seems to be about every 15 years or so, S&L in 1989, Banks in 2008, etc.). Will the same rules apply - the government will take control of the banks as they bail them out?
Run, run now as fast as you can (Score:2)
If trump wants to get involved in your business then what is there to think about? Look at the track record of things he has put his name on then run, run away as fast and as far as you can. Hopefully one of your competitors with let him stick his pudgy little fingers in their business and you will have one less competitors to worry about.
Fascism on the march. (Score:2)
Where have I seen this before?
Fake News (Score:1)
[1]https://finance.yahoo.com/news... [yahoo.com]
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/source-trump-administration-not-in-talks-to-take-equity-stakes-in-quantum-computing-firms-153807741.html
Donald Trump has absolutely no idea what... (Score:5, Insightful)
quantum computing is. He has no idea what regular computing is. He has no idea.
Re: (Score:2)
He's nothing if not innovative in his grift. Do you think Todd Blanche or Wossname Woodward will get a cut of the $230 million?
I'm joking, obviously.
Of course they won't.
Re: (Score:2)
Just worked for George Santos, and apparently now for the Binance scammer.
Whenever you see the words Donald Trump (Score:4, Insightful)
And it's not talking about senality or multiple credible rape accusations then you can just substitute Donald Trump with "The Heritage Foundation" because they're really the ones in charge.
Trump is and always has been his entire life an empty suit. The few times he's been off the leash to do something himself he's bankrupted whatever it was.
This is a couple of theocratic billionaires and a bunch of religious psychopaths running America now.
The really weird one is Peter thiel who is openly gay and going around funding Christ-fascist nationalists.
Eventually they'll get around to killing him but because he has so much money he thinks he's untouchable.
All those oligarchs Putin throws out of Windows thought the same thing too. Not that Peter thiel being killed during political violence is going to help you and me any...
Re:Whenever you see the words Donald Trump (Score:4, Insightful)
"Not that Peter thiel being killed during political violence is going to help you and me any..."
It probably would, if for no other reason than morale.
Re: (Score:2)
Honestly at that point everything is going to be so fucking pear-shaped it won't matter.
He's a member of the ruling class. Once we get to the point where the ruling class is killing each other then you're at the point Russia's at where you have a very tiny number of people living okay a very very very tiny number of people living like gods and then 99% of the population or more is living in horrifying poverty.
Re: (Score:2)
I no longer feel bad for Thiel being outed while he was in Saudi Arabia on business.
Re: (Score:1)
One of the more bizarre aspects of this story is that the same MAGAts who automatically think anything Rump does is wonderful will also be the first to tell you that China holding stakes in its country's corporations is unspeakably evil. The ability of the human mind to tie itself in knots is amazing to me.
Re: (Score:2)
The inverse is fascinatingly true these days.
What Trump is doing is evil, but China- that's a forwarding thinking economic machine, right there.
It seems increasingly true that the anti-Trump crowd's position is litreally -1(Trump);
It's a bit scary. Scarier than Trump? No- but it doesn't seem like a path away from him, either.
Re: (Score:2)
QC seems like it would be attractive to a narcissist, I wonder if it got pitched to him as collaborating with other Donald Trumps in multiple universes.
Re: Donald Trump has absolutely no idea what... (Score:2)
Make America China Again ?
Russia Again?
Voting or non-voting shares?
Three cheers for fascism!?
Maybe stable genius can tell those arrogant science nerds how to make the greatest, most beautiful quixels or quberts... or whatever you nerds call them. Make it work by Friday, or you're fired.